HISTORICAL BACKGROUND IN PHILOSOPHY AND

Intro to Clinical Existential EXISTENTIALISM

Therapy Chapter 9 Existential Therapy Movement (1940s-1950s)

Philosophical Approach  Developed in response to World War II, addressing

existential issues like isolation, alienation, and
 Existential therapy is a way of thinking, not a
meaninglessness.
defined school or specific technique.  European existentialists emphasized human
 Focuses on profound questions about human limitations and life's tragic dimensions (Sharp &
existence and suffering. Bugental, 2001).
 Encourages reflection on life's meaning, freedom,
and responsibility. Influential Philosophers and Their Contributions

Core Themes 1. Søren Kierkegaard (1813–1855)

 Freedom and Responsibility: We are free to - Angst: A blend of dread and anxiety.
choose and are responsible for our choices. - Existential anxiety is essential for self-education
 Existential Givens (Mortality, Anxiety, Despair, and awakening to life.
Grief, Loneliness, Isolation, Meaning and creativity, - Advocated for authenticity through choices and
and Love) "leaps of faith."
- Warned against "sickness unto death," which
Basic Assumptions arises when one is not true to oneself.

 Humans are not victims of circumstance but active 2. Friedrich Nietzsche (1844–1900)
participants in shaping their lives.
 Taking responsibility for one’s situation is key to - Emphasized subjectivity and the "will to power" as
enacting change. the source of values.
 Life’s purpose is subjective and must be - Warned against "herd morality" and mediocrity.
consciously explored and defined. - Advocated for tapping creativity and originality.
- Considered humans as creatures of will, not just
Therapeutic Goals rational beings.

 Assist clients in exploring their values, beliefs, and 3. Martin Heidegger (1889–1976)
purpose.
- Existential phenomenology: Humans exist "in the
 Address existential concerns and deepen reflection
world" rather than apart from it.
on life choices.
- Authentic living involves confronting death and
 Help clients create a meaningful and purposeful
rejecting superficial routines.
existence.
- Encouraged individuals to seek forward-looking
Therapist’s Role authentic experiences.

 Guide clients in recognizing alternatives and making 4. Martin Buber (1878–1965)

conscious decisions.
- I-Thou vs. I-It: Genuine relationships occur when
 Encourage self-reflection and acceptance of
individuals treat each other as unique beings (I-
responsibility.
Thou), not objects (I-It).
 Support clients in identifying what matters most to
- Presence enables true relationships, meaning, and
them and pursuing it.
responsibility in the here and now.
Therapeutic Process - Dialogic relationships embody full human
connection.
 Recognize passive acceptance of circumstances.
 Accept responsibility for shaping life’s direction. 5. Ludwig Binswanger (1881–1966)
 Take actionable steps aligned with personal values - Holistic model of self: Explored choice, freedom,
and beliefs. and caring.
- Daseinanalysis: Emphasized understanding
Irvin Yalom (2003): “Once individuals recognize their role in
clients' subjective and spiritual dimensions.
creating their own life predicament, they also realize that
- Focused on clients' immediate experiences and
they, and only they, have the power to change that situation.”
choices during crises.
Emmy van Deurzen (2012): “The therapist’s role is to help
6. Medard Boss (1903–1991)
clients consider what they are most serious about to pursue
a purposeful direction in life.” - Integrated Freud's psychoanalytic methods with
Heidegger’s existential concepts.
- Focused on "being-in-the-world" and the
therapist's entry into clients' subjective worlds.
- Applied Heidegger's philosophy to psychotherapy.
7. Jean-Paul Sartre (1905–1980) Legacy

- Radical freedom: Humans are free to choose their  Author of foundational works on existential
existence. therapy, including "Existential Therapy"
- Bad faith: Making excuses to avoid responsibility (2012).
for choices.  Influential in making existential therapy a
- Emphasized that existence is fluid and defined by recognized alternative to traditional methods in
present actions. Britain.
- Believed freedom is a responsibility and central
to emotional health. KEY CONCEPTS IN EXISTENTIALISM

Key Figures in Contemporary Existential Psychotherapy: 1. Understanding Human Nature

Overview
 Therapy transcends techniques and focuses on
1. James Bugental (1915–2008) what it means to be human.
 The existential tradition values respect for
- Coined the term "existential-humanistic individuality, exploration of human behavior, and
psychotherapy". addressing dilemmas like isolation and
- Focused on life-changing psychotherapy, helping meaninglessness.
clients examine and revise their existential answers  Humans are constantly in transition, continually
to live more authentically. creating meaning and questioning existence.
- Emphasized therapist and client presence,
fostering deeper self-discovery during therapy. 2. Core Dimensions of the Human Condition

Core Principles  Self-awareness: Understanding one’s limitations

and the potenti al for action or inaction.
 Resistance: Seen as resistance to being fully  Freedom and Responsibility: The capacity to
present, manifesting in patterns like choose and assume responsibility for choices.
intellectualizing or people-pleasing. Bugental's  Creating Identity and Relationships: Establishing
technique involved "tagging" resistance to meaningful connections and self-definition.
heighten awareness and expand choices.
 Search for Meaning: Striving for purpose, values,
 Process vs. Content: Highlighted the and goals.
distinction, focusing on the therapeutic process
 Living with Anxiety: Acknowledging existential
over merely discussing issues.
anxiety as a condition of existence.
 Here-and-Now Work: Stressed moment-to-
 Awareness of Death: Understanding the inevitability
moment exploration in therapy.
of mortality and its impact on life’s meaning.
Legacy
View of Human Nature
 Renowned as a teacher and therapist, Existentialism emphasizes that humans are not static but
Bugental’s live demonstrations and evolving beings capable of shaping their destiny. Include:
workshops brought existential psychotherapy to
life.  The significance of life is not pre-determined; it is
 Authored "The Art of the Psychotherapist" continuously recreated through choices.
(1987), detailing practical techniques for  Life involves questioning fundamental truths such
therapy, and "Psychotherapy Isn’t What You as identity, morality, and purpose.
Think" (1999), his final work.
Proposition 1: The Capacity for Self-Awareness
2. Emmy van Deurzen
 Freedom and Awareness: The greater our
- Prominent figure in British existential awareness, the greater our capacity for freedom
psychotherapy, emphasizing the resilience and and responsibility.
self-searching process in clients.  Life is finite, and inaction is a choice.
- Co-founded the New School of Psychotherapy  Self-awareness allows one to partially
and Counselling in Britain, advancing training and shape destiny and respond creatively to
academic programs. circumstances.
 Implications for Counseling:
Core Principles
 Clients explore how dependence, external
 Therapy Philosophy: Believes existential definitions of identity, and past decisions
therapy addresses individuals "sick of life" influence their lives.
rather than traditional medical diagnoses.  Awareness of limitations enables
 Resilience and Meaning: Helps clients find acceptance, growth, and appreciation of
meaning in hardships, overcome the present moment.
contradictions, and embrace life's paradoxes.  Challenges of Awareness: Increased self-
 Client Growth: Therapy empowers clients to awareness can lead to turmoil but also fulfillment.
face dilemmas and discover life's priorities. Ignorance may provide contentment but limit
potential.
Proposition 2: Freedom and Responsibility are at the heart of many psychological
struggles.
 Freedom and Choice: Freedom entails making  Discarding Old Values:
choices within natural and societal constraints.  Clients often let go of inherited values
 Authenticity requires taking responsibility without replacing them, leading to a "value
for shaping one’s existence. vacuum."
 Avoiding freedom often leads to  Therapists assist clients in crafting an
inauthenticity, blaming external forces for internally driven value system aligned with
one’s state. their authentic self.
 Existential Guilt:  Meaninglessness:
 Results from evading responsibility or not  A lack of purpose can cause existential
fulfilling potential. stress or an "existential vacuum," which
 Serves as a motivator for change and leads to feelings of emptiness.
authentic living.  Creating New Meaning:
 Role of Therapy  Logotherapy helps clients find meaning
Therapists encourage clients to: even in suffering, emphasizing resilience
 Recognize their avoidance of freedom. and growth.
 Accept responsibility for choices and their  Meaning arises from engagement with
consequences. what is personally valued rather than direct
 Examine patterns of behavior influenced pursuit.
by cultural and personal values.
 Cultural Sensitivity: Proposition 5: Anxiety as a Condition of Living
Balancing individual values with cultural
 Existential Anxiety:
expectations is crucial in counseling. Authenticity
 Arises from life’s "givens" (e.g., death,
can coexist with societal norms.
freedom, isolation, and meaninglessness).
Proposition 3: Striving for Identity and Relationship to  Signals readiness for personal change and
Others growth when faced constructively.
 Normal vs. Neurotic Anxiety:
 Identity Creation
 Normal Anxiety: A natural response to life’s
 Humans strive to preserve their challenges, fostering growth and
uniqueness while building meaningful awareness.
connections. The creation of personal  Neurotic Anxiety: Disproportionate and
identity is not automatic; it requires
immobilizing, often stemming from
courage and self-awareness.
avoidance or repression.
 Alienation and Expectations:
 Therapeutic Perspective:
 Many individuals become "strangers to
 Anxiety should be embraced as an
themselves" by living according to others’
opportunity for growth, not eliminated.
expectations, losing touch with their true
 Accepting existential anxiety involves living
self.
with uncertainty and facing life as an
 Aloneness and Relatedness:
adventure.
 Aloneness is part of the human condition
but can lead to inner strength and self- Proposition 6: Awareness of Death and Nonbeing
discovery.
 Relationships are healthier and more  Death as a Source of Meaning:
fulfilling when built from a place of  Existentialists view death not as negative
personal strength rather than deprivation. but as a condition that gives life its
 Therapy can help clients explore patterns significance.
of avoidance and dependence, fostering  Awareness of mortality motivates
mature interdependent relationships. individuals to appreciate the present and
 Role Therapy live authentically.
 Help clients face fears of emptiness and  Interdependence of Life and Death
meaninglessness.  Life derives urgency and meaning from the
 Encourage clients to accept how they’ve inevitability of death.
lived "outside themselves" and explore  While physical death ends existence, the
paths to reconnect with their identity. idea of death fosters creativity and zest for
 Guide clients to differentiate between life.
dependency in relationships and life-  Transforming Fear of Death
affirming, healthy connections.  Accepting mortality shifts the fear of death
into a positive force, encouraging
Proposition 4: The Search for Meaning purposeful and compassionate living.
 Confronting death enables a transition
 Human Need for Purpose:
from inauthentic to authentic living.
 Existential questions such as “Why am I
here?” and “What gives my life purpose?”
  Role Therapy
 Addressing Death Directly
 Healthy Awareness vs. Preoccupation

Practical Applications: Existential therapy encourages

clients to assess how their actions align with their values and
to embrace the finite nature of life. Awareness of death helps
clients focus on the present, fostering personal growth and
authentic relationships. By emotionally accepting mortality,
clients can transform fear into empowerment, leading to
enriched, intentional living.

KEY PHASES OF EXISTENTIAL COUNSELING:

1. Initial Phase: Clients clarify their assumptions

about life, values, and beliefs. The therapist helps
clients reflect on their existence and understand
how they contribute to their problems.
2. Middle Phase: Clients examine the authority and
origin of their current value system, leading to new
insights and shifts in perspective.
3. Final Phase: Clients integrate their new
understanding into their lives and take action, using
therapy as a catalyst for meaningful change beyond
the session.